The present invention relates generally to a sliding drawer in a cabinet, table, bureau, etc., and more particularly to a durable structure for sliding the drawer without making noise.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,518 discloses a drawer sliding structure which comprises a plurality of rail elements, rail-supporting elements, and rolling elements. This prior art structure is defective in design in that it makes noise at the time when the drawer is pushed back into place after being drawn out. In addition, the rolling elements of this prior art structure are apt to collide with the panel of the table when the drawer is pushed back into place. Such violent contact between the rolling elements and the table panel often results in damage of not only the rolling elements but also the table panel. This prior art structure is further defective in design in that the drawerits rail is supported by two bearings which are mounted separately and are vulnerable to damage by an overloaded drawer.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a drawer sliding structure which is durable and quiet in operation.
In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by a drawer sliding structure comprising
a track seat adapted to be fastened at one side with a panel of a cabinet or the like, said track seat being provided with a vertical flange and a horizontal guide portion extending from one end of said vertical flange;
an outer slide rail having an inverted U-shaped cross section, a horizontal top side, two vertical sides, and an open side, with said horizontal top side being fastened with an underside of a bottom plate of a drawer of the cabinet or the like such that said open side of said outer slide rail faces a floor;
an inner slide rail having an inverted U-shaped cross section, a horizontal top side, two vertical sides, and an open side; and
a first roller seat for fastening slidably said inner slide rail to said horizontal guide portion of said track seat such that said open side of said inner slide rail faces the floor;
wherein the improvement comprises said drawer sliding structure further comprises a second roller seat for mounting said outer slide rail on said inner slide rail, said second roller seat having an inverted U-shaped cross section, a horizontal top side, two vertical sides, and an open side, with said two vertical sides being provided with one vertical roller, and with said horizontal top side being provided with a horizontal roller, so that said second roller seat is mounted on said inner slide rail with said open side of said second roller seat facing the floor, and that said vertical roller and said horizontal roller are located between said outer slide rail and said inner slide rail, and further that said vertical roller and said horizontal roller provide rolling frictions between said outer slide rail and said inner slide rail.
Preferably, each of said two vertical sides of said second roller seat is provided with a plurality of vertical rollers; and said horizontal top side of said second roller seat is provided with a plurality of horizontal rollers.
Preferably, said second roller seat is made of a plastic material and is provided with at least one gap serving to interrupt transmission of a shock exerting on said second roller seat.